Very Good without Jo, Great with Jo
-
I feel juiced about the team, because…
• On no day of rest after an OT game, KU without its star center, with its star forward shooting 7-21 FG, and shooting 27% from trey ville, ALMOST BEAT A RANKED TEAM that played its best game of its season. This means KU is very good without Joel and ring grade with him.
• Perry Ellis had a great game with 30 and 8 against a ranked team proving he is out of his slump.
• Tar had another double digit rebounding game.
• KU almost almost beat a ranked team with Self failing to make sound defensive adjustments (no doubling Niang, no zone) at the end when ISU OBVIOUSLY lost its trey shooting legs. Zone was the right call against ISU the moment ISU started missing treys with ten to go and Hoi started running only inside stuff. Self won’t make that mistake again.
• Self got fooled by Hoiberg’s intermittent box and one zone on Wiggins–at least that’s my current best guess as to what it was. Never adjusted. Thanks, Doc. Won’t happen again.
• The loss buys KU a hugely advantageous extra day of rest and preparation for the only thing that matters–scheming to win two in the first round. OSU win guarantied a 2-3 seed. The difference between a 2 and 3 doesn’t matter as much as the extra day of rest and prep.
• Self says KU’s defense is intermittently good now even without Joel; that it was good vs. OSU. If I recall correctly, JNew says the defensive efficiency is now 28th nationally with Joel missing several games and Self’s never had a team finish below 25th. The difference between 25th and 28th is not very important and probably explained by SOS and Joel’s absence of late. This is a good young defense that is vulnerable, when it cannot scheme on no rest day. Guess what. There won’t be any no rest games in Madness.
• JNEW said Tharpe’s finger was dislocated vs WVU; that explains his poor shooting and unaggressive ball handling. He should be much better by Thursday or Friday.
• Self knew the next game could be as early as next Thursday. He knew a win vs ISU meant a game Saturday. A game Saturday meant as little as only 4 full days of rest and prep for 2 in 3. Without Joel, with Tharpe’s finger, with Selden’s knees, with Black’s ankle, and with the incredible load being placed on Wiggins (17-21 FGAs per game plus rebounding), losing guarantied at least 5 and maybe 6 full days of rest and prep; that just coincidentally was the best way to win two without Joel in the first round. Self will never admit it. No one could ever prove it. But Self did not make the obvious defensive adjustments down the stretch. If he really did botch it, then it’s one lucky botch.
• Go Bill, Go!!!
-
I was pert near positive Tharpe was hurt at WVU, but Self was tight lipped as usual. So put on the thinking cap-when was the last time KU took the knockout in the semis at Sprint & how did they fare in the field of 64 (68)?
Tick tock, tick tock, tick…
Right, 2012 we were kicked out by the Baylor Bears & quite diligently, Trob, TT, Jeff & company went on to end as runner up to UK in the NC final.
Am not saying this one is an Omen, but… it could be.
-
@jaybate Ahhhhh, just the encouraging post I was hoping for!
I’m still planning for a final four and really hope for a title (as usual).
I just want ISU to play well in the madness. If they’re such a matchup problem for everyone then prove it when it really matters. Go Clones!
RCJHGKU always!!!
-
@jaybate 1.0 I like what you had for breakfast. We all need some Jo in the morning.
Go Jo, GO!!!
-
@jaybate 1.0 KABOOM…now, we’re talking… I’ve felt like taking a shower after reading so many negative, whiney, bitch boy posts. It is nice to read a post from someone with common sense who obviously looked outside this am, and realized the world wasn’t ending. Jaybate, love your posts more than anyone on here. Thank you for hitting a grand slam on this one. Much needed…much appreciated…
-
One of your best posts yet, JB.
They played their butts off to beat OSU. And I’m glad they beat Smart. Cant stand that guy.
You are spot on; they need this rest time to recover and scheme for the tournament.
I have been wondering for a while if Tharpe’s finger was affecting him. I personally think it is, and the extra day would do wonders for him.
Good to see them climbing the rankings defensively. They looked sharp and on their toes during the OSU game which should give them some confidence.
-
@globaljaybird That was a team that really benefited from the extra day of rest because of their short bench.
Its tough to play your best two days in a row against teams as good as OSU and ISU.
Like JB said, that wont happen in the tournament. If anything, it will be easier in the first couple rounds. They still have to play their butts off though.
-
@jaybate 1.0 Wow, I needed that.
Didn’t get to watch the game, but I feel like I didn’t really need to (although I was kind of shocked that Ellis had 30 and we lost; at least that’s what I was told). Without Embiid, Niang got to do whatever he wanted. Hoiberg could adjust defensively to smother Ellis in the post. And make no mistake, Niang is good.
All that being said, I’d like to comment on a couple of things. @jaybate 1.0 let me know what you think.
-
I have found myself agreeing with Self that the conference season is just too much. Playing a 18-game round robin schedule has been a nightmare. Then to cap it off with three games in three days against some of the best teams in the country is a little much. And as Self has said several times, beating a team three times in one year is asking a lot.
-
Being the one-seed in this tournament, I have found myself wondering if the competition of the Big 12 tournament may be better than any team we play up until the Elite 8 or Final Four (of course, if we get there). It remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Think about it, we played OSU and ISU in the first two games. Compared to the B1G tournament where you’ve got Michigan sneaking by an awful Illinois team, Ohio St. getting mentally beat down by an awful Purdue and Nebraska team…or Villanova losing to St. Bonaventure (whatever, I don’t know how to spell it), the Big 12 is scary good. I know I’d rather play any of those teams over a hot OSU team or a hot-shooting ISU team.
-
Now to get down to the nitty gritty. I wouldn’t trade Self for the world. But I wonder if he really is this evil genius behind closed doors masterminding our run in the tourney. It’s possible, but I’m reluctant to believe it all. KU should get beyond the first game of the tourney, and depending on the matchup, I’d like to believe we get beyond the second game (it all depends on match ups though). I don’t know if I foresee Self breaking out a swarming zone in the tourney. He stubbornly clings to his man-to-man philosophy. I would love to see Self throw out all kinds of different defenses in the tournament (not to mention a full court press every once in a while), or when it’s demanded and see KU beat someone like Florida by 20 because of it, but I don’t know if I see it happening. If it does, I will be elated, but again, I’m reluctant to buy the evil genius concept.
-
Similar to the above point, losing this game could be a good thing and a bad thing. If we get a favorable seed (like the 2 or 3 in the midwest), then cross off the bad thing. It’s only bad if it drops us in the seeding. Hopefully the committee will look at the fact that we’ve already beat ISU twice and lost a close game to them without our best player. Like you said JB, it does give us extra rest, which is essential.
Hopefully it works out. JB, you have given me some confidence, because you’re right, things can be looked at favorably for KU, but a lot depends on what Self decides to do and when he decides to implement changes, which from the looks of it, will be necessary in the tournament.
RCJH
-
-
@MoonwalkMafia Great point about the Big 12. With Ohio State losing to Nebraska, and being down by as many as 20, Villanova losing to Seton Hall, and being down by double digits, and Michigan scraping by Illinois, nobody can refute the fact that the Big 12 is the best conference.
I have a feeling that the extra rest will benefit them. I would be elated if they got to the Final Four, as there have been many years where they had the best team and didn’t make it that far.
-
Off topic, but I have been watching the other conference championships. It is fun to watch the close games in the smaller conferences where the teams haven’t been to the dance in a long time or, maybe, never. Plus, you never know if you are watching a future KU opponent in the first round. Just saw Coach Manning’s Tulsa team beat La. Tech for the Conference USA berth. Congratulations to an all time KU great!
